Friday, February 13, 2009

Read It: Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch

by Eileen Spinelli

illustrated by Paul Yalowitz

Mr. Hatch was tall and thin and did not smile.Every morning at 6:30 sharp he would leave his brick house and walk eight blocks to the shoelace factory where he worked.At lunchtime he would sit alone in a corner, eat his cheese and mustard sandwich, and drink a cup of coffee. Sometimes he brought a prune for dessert.

Everything changes for Mr. Hatch when a Valentine arrives at his house with a note, "Somebody Loves You." Mr. Hatch has no idea who it could be from, and then something happens that has never happened before....he smiles. Mr. Hatch begins to act differently, knowing that somebody loves him, and because of this he reaches out and makes new friends.

The postman returns to Mr. Hatch's house to give him bad news about his Valentine, and Mr. Hatch is left to believe nobody loves him. The story continues to a happy ending for Mr. Hatch and his new friends.

Fun Activity: Work with the kids to cut out a simple heart that says, "Somebody Loves You." Secretly work together (or separately-depending on your child's age) and do a good deed for a family member or friend and leave the heart behind. My kids go crazy for doing stuff like this, and doing just one good deed isn't usually enough.